A failing railway embankment in Lewes, Sussex requiring emergency remediation to prevent local residents’ gardens collapsing onto the railway line was accepted at short notice by GSSL and completed in the shortest possible time.

Two committed GSSL crews agreed to work extended hours and weekends to complete the works on time under the supervision of specialist rope access technicians provided by the main contractor.
Fast set dry spray Gunite materials were applied to the face of the embankment by the crews who rotated nozzle men every hour due to the demanding working conditions of accessing the steep slope face on the end of a rope.

Over a hundred tonnes of material were applied in difficult weather conditions. Heavy rain was a constant feature, but the use of fast set materials mitigated any concrete set time delays, or issues with quality assurance and material testing.

Delays can prove to be costly under these working conditions, and all plant was ordered in duplicate as a contingency to avoid delays caused by mechanical breakdown or other unforeseen circumstances.
The remote locations and limited footprint of the site meant that all the Gunite materials had to be delivered to a location a few miles further down the track in advance, and moved by tele-handler to the actual work site to ensure delivery within the tight works programme.